Am so confused...

[applecrumple]

Have been bf for 8 weeks (baby 9 weeks old but was in SCBU when born so tube fed for 1 week) & I've still not got the hang of it. After dd comes off, my nipple is lipstick shaped so looks like she's not getting it far back enough in her mouth. Even if its not lipstick shaped, it's not round (more like a round square). I've had my latch checked & everyone says it looks ok. It's not painful, just feels uncomfortable & it usually has a yellowish colour to it). I'm beginning to think that I'm never going to get this right!

[drcrab]

Congrats on the birth of your baby!

Do you feel a let down when your baby latches on and takes the first few sucks? Or does your other boob start to tingle and feel like its leaking?

Does she have regular wet nappies and poos? Is she happy in herself? Is she putting on weight??

[applecrumple]

Hi drcrab (from Memoirs of a Geisha?!) yes I do usually feel a let down (from both sides actually & the side I'm not feeding from does start leaking). Dd is putting on weight - bet 8 & 12 oz per week (I should point out that she was prem & was 4lb3oz when born & is now 8lb5oz. Plenty of pooey & wet nappies. Tbh I'm more just concerned about it not feeling right for be & that causing issues down the line.

[Indith]

You are right in thinking the lipstick shape means she isn't getting a deep enough latch. Has she been checked for tongue tie? It is easy to miss and doesn't always cause major feeding problems so your latch could look good from the outside and she can be feeding well and putting on weight and fooling everyone into thinking there is no problem!

[drcrab]

Memoirs of a geisha? I have to read that again!

I think if there's no pain and as long as she's putting on weight (she sounds like she's doing v well!) then I really wouldn't worry. For both my children I fed them differently and it worked. Dd still bf and she's 25 months! Trying to wean her - she's too attached. She was also in scbu for first few days so she didn't really get my boob immediately.

Hang in there. You're doing fine!

[drcrab]

I must add I have no idea re tongue tie or any of those problems so do check it out if you don't feel right about it.

[cravingyorkiebar]

Congrats on dd! Has she been checked for tongue tie? Ds did this - he had a posterior tongue tie which wasn't immediately obvious, once released he was fine and feeding was much more comfortable.
Try and go to a feeding clinic with bf councillors if you can (I was told by many midwives that latch looked ok and so to persevere) - it took a bf clinic to diagnose and resolve the tongue tie which was causing the problem. Good luck.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Google 'flipple' (I think that is what it is called) as that can help.

you can also press down the chin once latched on to get a bit of a deeper latch.

I'm a lazy feeder and latch doesn't matter all that much to me and it still works for us so don't feel like you HAVE to get it perfect, although the sustainability is obviously more likely if you are doing it as efficiently as possible.

I'll feed ds forever, lipstick latch or not because I'm far too lazy to do anything else.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Oh, and yes ds has posterior tongue tie (all my kids have) and it seems to improve as their mouths get bigger.

[applecrumple]

Hi all thanks for your messages. She's been checked for tongue tie & doesn't have one but I don't think she's been checked for posterior one. Does it matter if she does have posterior then? Although it doesn't really hurt, it does feel uncomfortable though

[Indith]

If it feels uncomfortable then try to get checked out. Ask to see the infant feeding specialist and/or look up your local la leche league.